Cinematographic film-feeding mechanism



W. B. WESCOTT CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILM FEEDING MECHANISM Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,343

Original Filed Sept. 11, 1916 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jgmz Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,343

W. B. WESCOTT CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILM FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Spt. 11, 1916 2 sheets-sheet 2 fl /5 2w dia I filed. September 11, 1916.

Patented Apr. 3, 19 23.

UNITE s 1,450,343 ice.

WILLIAM BURTON WESCOTT, OF WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TECHNICOLOR MOTION PICTURE CORI'ORATION, 013 BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CINEMATOGBAPKIC FILM-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Original application filed. September 11, 1916, Serial No. 119,377. Divided and this application fl ed- April 25, 1921.

To all. whom it may concern.

-Be it known that I, WILLIAM BURTON VVEsoo'rr, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of VVellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cinematographic Film-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motion picture apparatus, and more particularly to a motion picture camera of the intermittent feed type adapted to take aplurality of simultaneous pictures of the same scene fromthe same point of view, this being a division of my prior application Serial No. 119,377, The invention herein claimed comprises a film moving cam system effectively balanced both with respect to linear and angular momentum.

In motion picture cameras it is highly desirable that all rotating and reciprocating parts should be substantially perfectly counterbalanced so as to eliminate vibration due to the movement of the parts of the machine. To this end I have provided mechanism comprising a reciprocating member for intermittently advancing the film which is counterbalanced by reciprocating means having motion at all times opposite to that of the film movingmember and comprising rotating means for actuating the reciprocating parts which is so designed as to elimi nate any unbalanced centrifugal force due 33 of Fig. 4, showing th film feeding mechanism in plan;

Figure 4 is a vertical section of the film feeding mechanism taken on line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a portion of the film feeding mechanism.

The particular form of my invention Serial No. 464,204.

chosen for the purpose of illustration bomprises a vertically reciprocating carriage VC; vertically reciprocating frames VF ar-.

ranged on opposite sides of-ca-rriage VC-to counterbalance the latter; cams 51 and 52to actuate the respective vertically reciprocating members, the cams being angularly disposed about the axis thereof in such a manner as to counterbalance the centrifugal forces of each other; two horizontally reciprocating carriages HC mounted on carriage VG; film engaging pins 41 carried by the carriage HC; and .cams 53 .to actuate the carriage HC. Each of the horizontally reciprocating carriages HC comprises upper and lower horizontal members 38 connected together by spacing member 58 and having tongues 59 fitting into slots 60 in the carriage VG. The slots 60 are enough longer than the tongues to permit the carriage HC and lower cross members 10 and. front and back runners 45 and 46 cooperating with the front and back guides 47 and 48.

The front runner of each of the vertically reciprocating members preferably comprises a V-shaped groove fitting over a wedgeshaped ridge 40 on the reciprocating guide 47. The rear runner 46 of each of the vertically reciprocating members preferably comprises one or more longitudinal flanges fitting into a correspondingl shaped groove in the rear guide 48, thus affording bearing surface on the inside as well as on the outside of the runner. For the purposes hereinafter J mentioned either the front or the rear runners and guides should be extended beyond the. limit of movement of the reoiprocating members, the rear sets being so shown in the drawings, and both the front and the rear sets may be thus. extended if desired. The rear guides may be made adjustable by means of Wedges 49 cooperating with inclined faces on the guides to aline and to vary the distance between thQffI'OIlt and rear guides. The wedges may be provided with pro ctions cooperating with opposed screws 0 mounted on projections on the film feed casing FF, whereby the wedges may be moved to adjust the guides.

The vertically reciprocating carriage VC and frames VF are actuated by cams 51 and 52 which bear on the interior faces of the upper and lower cross-member of the carriage and frames, respectively. The cam 51 is angularly displaced 180 with respect to and is substantiall equal in weight to the cams 52 whereby t e centrifugal forces due tothe rotation of these cams are effectually counterbalanced. The horizontally reciprocating carriages HC are actuated by cams 53 mounted on the shaft S between cam 51 and cams 52, respectively. Cams 53 are counterbalanced by masses of metal 55 within cams 52, the masses of metal being angularly displaced 180 with relation to the cams.

At each side of the film feeding mechanism a thin! elongate trailer 56 having an opening therein to receive the pin 41 is arranged to be reciprocated in guides 57 by the pin 41 and thus maintain the slot 39 closed. In this way the oil within the casing of the film feeding mechanism is prevented from being thrown out through the slot and foreign matter is prevented from passing into the casing.

Each of the three faces of each of the cams 51 and 52 has the form of an arc of a circle whose center is the center of one of the small circles a, a, b, b and 0, c opposite the cam faces, respectively, the shaft S assing through the openings 0, c and bemg keyed to the cams. The cams rotate in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4), and from the time that the centers of the circles a and a, pass the vertical plane through the axis of the shaft S until the time that the centers of small circles 12 and I) pass the vertical plane, the vertically reciprocating parts are maintained stationary. After the centers of the circles 12 and I) pass the vertical plane, the carriage VC begins to move downwardly and the frames VF begin to move upwardly. This movement continues until the centers of circles a and us again reach the vertical plane, at which time the vertically reciprocating parts become and remain stationary until the points I) and b reach the vertical plane, at which time the carriage VC starts upwardly and the frames VF start downwardly. During the down ward movement of the carriage VC, the cams 53 maintain the horizontal reciprocating carriages HC in advanced position, with the pins 41 projecting outwardly through the slots 39, to engage the marginal perforations in the film and to move the film downwardly with the carriage VC. When the carriage reaches its upper stationary position, at

which time they are advanced to engage new perforations in the film. i

It will be noted that the cams 51 and 52 actuating vertically reciprocating parts VC and VF make contact with the upper and lower cross members of these parts at varying distances from the vertical transverse plane equidistant from the front and rear guides. For example, in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 4, the cams contact with the cross members at their central points, but as the surfaces of the cams 51 and 52 between circles 0, 0' and a. and a come into operation, the points of contact travel outwardly while each reciprocating part moves from one to the other extreme position, and as the surfaces of the cams between circles c, 0' and b, I) come into operation the points of contact travel inwardly to the central plane. Obviously the tendency to cause the carriage. V C and frames VF to rotate varies as the points of application of the actuating forces travel outwardly and inwardly, the tendency being a minimum when the parts are in the position shown in the drawings, and a maximum when the forces areapplied at the points most remote from the aforesaid equidistant plane. For

this reason it is desirable to extend either chattering due to the varying rotational.

tendency. For the same reason one or both sets of runners are preferably arranged to contact both on their inner and on their outer surfaces with the corresponding guides reciprocating film-feeding member, a recip- 5. Motion picture film-feeding mechanism comprising a rotating member, a reciprocating member actuated thereby, means to counterbalance vibration due to the centrifugal force of said rotating member, and means to counterbalance vibration due to reciprocation of said reciprocating member, said first means actuating said second means.

6. Motion picture apparatus comprising-a. reciprocating member, one or more counter.- balancing reciprocating member or 'meIn-- bers, a rotating member for actuating said first member, and one or more counterbalanc-.

ing rotating member or members for actuating said counterbalancing reciprocating member or members.

7. Motion picture apparatus comprising a film-feeding member, one or more counterbalancing member or members therefor, a member for actuating said film-feeding member, and one or more counterbalancing member or members of actuating said first counterbalancing member or members.

-8. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating film-feeding member, one or more reciprocating counter-balancing member or members and counterbalanced cam members for producing opposite reciprocation of said members.

9. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating film-feeding member, one or more reciprocating counter-balancing member or members, and a plurality of rotating cams angularly displaced relative to each other for reciprocating said members.

10. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating carriage, one or more reciprocating counterbalancing member or members, a cam for reciprocating said carriage, one or more cam or cams for actuating said counterbalancing member or members, means for rotating said cams, said first cam being angularly displaced relative to said second cam or cams whereby motion in'opposite directions may be imparted to said carriage and said counterbalancing member or members. 1

11. Motion picture apparatus comprisinga vertically reciprocating carriage, a vertically reciprocating counterbalancing frame on each side of said carriage, a rotating cam for actuating said carriage, and other rotating cams angularly displaced 180 relative to said first cam for actuating said frames.

12. Motion picture apparatus comprising a vertically reciprocating film-feeding carriage, vertically reciprocating counterbalancing means, a horizontally reciprocating film engaging member mounted upon each side of said carriage, and rotating cams for actuating said reciprocating parts, the respective cams for actuating the film-feeding carriage and the counterbalancing means being angularly displaced whereby both linearand angular momentum is effectively balanced.

' 13. Motion picture apparatus comprising a vertically reciprocating film-feeding member, a horizontally movable'film-engaging member carried thereby, one or more vertically movable counterbalancing member or members, whereby lntermittent motion in opposite directions may be imparted to the vertically movable members and whereby intermittent motion may be imparted to the horizontally movable member.

14. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating film-feeding member, ro-

tati-ng means for actuating said film-feeding member, reciprocating members for counterbalancing the vibration due to the reciprocation of said film-feeding member, and rotating means for counterbalancing the centrifugal force due to the rotation ofsaidfirst means, said counterbalancing members and means bein axially displaced on opposite sides of sai film-engaging member and its actuating means. I

'15. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating film-feeding member, rotating means for actuating said film-feeding member, reciprocating members for counterbalancing the vibration due to the reciprocation of said film-feeding member, and rotating means for actuating said counterbalancing members and for counterbalancing the centrifugal force due to the rotation of said first means, said counterbalancing members and means being axially displaced on opposite sides of said film-feeding member and actuating means therefor.

16. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating member, a second counterbalancing reciprocating member, and a r0- tating means for actuating each of said members, said rotating means being angularly displaced with relation to each other whereby the centrifugal force due to the rotation thereof are counterbalanced.

17. Motion picture apparatus comprising a film-feeding member, rotating means for 18. Motion icture apparatus comprising a support, a dim-feeding member mounted to reciprocate therein, cooperating guide members on said support and on said filmfeeding member, and means for adjusting the gulde' member on said support in a direction normal to the path of reciprocation of said film-feeding member.

19. Motion picture apparatus comprising a support, a film-feeding member mounted to reciprocate therein, cooperating guide members on said support and said film-feeding member, and means for adjusting the guide member on said support at a plurality of points in a direction normal to the path of reciprocation of said film-feeding mechanism.

20. Motion picture apparatus comprising a support, a film-feeding member mounted to reciprocate therein, cooperating guide members on said support and on said filmfeeding member, and wedges for adjusting the guide member on said support at a plurality of points in a direction normal .to the path of reciprocation of said film-feeding mechanism.

21. Motion picture apparatus comprising a support, a film-feeding member mounted to reciprocate therein, cooperating guide members on said support and on said filmfeeding member, and a wedge for adjusting the gulde member on said support in a direction normal to the path of reciprocation of said film-feeding mechanism.

22. Motion picture apparatus comprising a carriage arranged to reciprocate for intermittently advancing the film, guide members on said carriage extending beyond the limit of reciprocation thereof and 'guides cooperating with said guide members also extending beyond the limit of reciprocation of said carriage. v

23. Motion picture apparatus comprising a reciprocating carriage for intermittently advancing the film, means for guiding said carriage, and actuating means arranged to transmit power to said carriage at varying distances from said guiding means, said guiding means being extended beyond the limit of reciprocation of said carriage whereby to prevent vibration due to the varying turning movement applied to said carriage by said actuating means.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 18th day of April, 1921.

ZVILLIAlvi BURTON WESCOTT. 

